Jade Colossus
The dritch is a variety of creature that eats void matter, or at least midnight stones. It spends much of its time sniffing out concentrations of void matter, and once it gets the scent, not much can deter it from going after what it's sensed. Oddly, it only seems to sense midnight stones that are not already claimed by an intelligent creature, which means it ignores stones found by other characters, as well as those who have foci like Delved Too Deeply and Taps the Void, which infuse them with void matter.
That said, a dritch can be especially dangerous to others who possess midnight stones or who are infused with void matter, because the creature has a special power over the strange energy.
A dritch has a mottled carapace that resembles a midnight stone and glows with a faint greenish light. It is slender and sleek, with a head on a long neck, two arms, and a long torso that narrows to a snakelike coil. A variety of antenna-like protuberances stud its glistening form.
Motive: Hungers for void matter
Environment: Anywhere within or near the Jade Colossus
Health: 15
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (4 points)
Movement: Short; immediate when burrowing
Modifications: Tracking void matter as level 7.
Combat: A dritch can bite foes, though its first attack is to spit up a glob of void matter about once every minute. The glob targets a foe within short range who must succeed on an Intellect defense task or be stunned and lose their next turn. The stunned target must also succeed on a Might defense task, or gain a harmful mutation that lasts until their next ten-hour recovery roll.
If a dritch attacks a character in possession of a midnight stone or who is otherwise infused with void matter, the attacks inflict 2 additional points of damage (for a total of 6 points) and ignore Armor. Each such attack returns the dritch to full health, and in the case of a character carrying midnight stones, drains one of those stones.
Interaction: Dritches ignore creatures that are not threats, unless hunger or loyalty urges them to do otherwise. If they become hungry enough, they attack anything infused with or in possession of void matter, including In the case of loyalty, dritches may imprint on the first creature they see after "hatching." They will fight to the death to defend that person, or do as the person commands, unless it would lead to the dritch's own
Use: Dritches are not common in Ballarad, the village outside the Jade Colossus, but every now and then an explorer brings one in after a successful expedition into the installation. Characters who carry midnight stones may get a curious sniff or two, but nothing worse happens unless
GM Intrusion: The dritch burrows into the wall or floor, leaving a slowly healing tunnel behind it for about a minute. If one or more characters follow, they emerge into an entirely new zone within the Jade Colossus, one potentially miles away from where they left.